Friday, March 29, 2024

Turn bull calves into cash

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Dairy farmers in the thick of calving are being offered thousands of dollars for their best bull calves by CRV Ambreed.
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The company is offering farmers who breed the best bull calves $4000 if the calves are selected for the CRV Progeny Test programme.

That could turn into $11,000 from graduation payments or more if royalty options were taken.

CRV breeding programme manager Aaron Parker said with calving now under way, a lucrative source of extra income could be dropping in farm paddocks across the country.

As well as being welcome income for dairy farmers, delivering their best bulls to CRV Ambreed will contribute to genetic diversity and thus advancement across the national herd.

“Farmers know best when it comes to their herds,” Parker said.

Elite bull calves were usually sourced through contract mating, stud breeders and CRV Ambreed’s embryo transfer programme but it was through farmers nominating their bull calves on the open market where more unique bulls were discovered.

“We’re really looking for bulls whose daughters will be efficient and easy to manage for our farmers,” Parker said.

CRV Ambreed was building its genetic portfolio to suit the broad range of environments, conditions and farming systems in operation now and in the future.

Okura Stud farmers Luke and Lyna Beehre offered CRV Ambreed a breeding superstar through the open market in 2005.

Okura Lika Murmur S3J, who recently retired, came from their Northland stud and contributed to the national dairy herd with almost 500,000 semen doses.

He sired 22,464 herd testing daughters in New Zealand and many legendary sons. His genetics were also popular in South Africa, North America and Australia.

“He’s bred outstanding sons and daughters with super production, udder and capacity traits,” Parker said.

“Hundreds of his cows have been contract mated in NZ and as a sire of sons he has produced some of country’s best jersey bulls.”

The more bulls like Mumur in CRV Ambreed’s breeding programme, the greater the genetic diversity fed though to NZ’s national herd and the higher the genetic gain. Bull calves from any sires would be considered.

“Farmers we haven’t worked with before could potentially have the genetic diversity that we are looking for and could hold the industry’s next superstar.

“We are really keen to talk to these farmers right across the country.”

Nominate a bull calf by ringing 0800 262 733 or online at www.crv4all.co.nz/contact-us.

 

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